Crystal-clear offices for Oslo by C.F. Møller Architects and Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter

Won in 2009 following a competition, the new Nordea bank headquarters has recently been awarded BREEAM certification. The project is being led by C.F. Møller Architects together with Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter. Work is due to start on site in 2013, with completion hoped for in 2016.

The site lies in the centre of the capital, right next to the multimodal transport hub, on a former postal logistics yard. At 104 metres, it will be one of the tallest buildings in the country.

Set on a podium that covers the whole plot, the offices, commissioned by KLP Eiendom, are divided into three towers. The podium ensures continuity with the urban fabric and rises over two storeys to house shops and restaurants. The public square created at the heart of the scheme sits above the railway station. This is the spirit in which the city intends to develop a district once shaped by manufacturing: a place where the port and the modern city intermingle.

The façade of the 28 storeys bears no resemblance to a glass curtain wall. It looks more like a stack of glass boxes attached to a concrete structure. The towers follow an organic pattern of growth, and the project has been nicknamed « Krystalklar/Crystal Clear ». The glazed façades are intended to create unique views over Oslo Bay.

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